Fall-ing In Love With Figs And Persimmons
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(Image Courtesy sugarplumblog.net)
The three roll swimmingly off the tongue, but there’s no reason why another f-word (get your mind out of the gutter) can’t be added to the trio – fruit. While you may wonder how fruits can ripen amid snow, storms or chilly winter weather, this season happens to produce some of the most nutritious, tasty and exotic kinds.
So the next time you catch yourself digging into your plastic goblet full of leftover Halloween treats that ominously sits on your kitchen table, enjoy nature’s candy instead with these seasonal fall fruits:
Persimmons
There’s no doubt that the pumpkin steals the show when it comes to the most well-known and desired orange fruit (yes, it’s a fruit!) during the fall season. But it’s time for it to step out of the limelight, or at least scoot over for a bit, because the persimmon is yet another round, orange, nutritious and seasonal fall fruit that deserves attention.
The persimmon, native to Japan, is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C and has two times the amount of fiber as an apple. It looks like a crossbreed between a pumpkin and a beefsteak tomato, with its orange pigment, green stem and smooth skin. The key to persimmons is buying the right one (the Fuyu and not the Hachiya) and making sure they’re ripe – lest you wish to bite into a cottony, bitter and highly unpleasant fruit. But if done right, you’ll be pleased with the deep, sweet taste that is comparable to a maple-infused brown sugar.
Persimmons are used in traditional Chinese medicine to cure hiccups, smooth wrinkles and lower blood pressure. Complement persimmons with typical seasonal spices like nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon with spiced persimmon and pecan scones. Or if time is of the essence and health is on your agenda, a persimmon salad paired with jicama, grapefruit, lettuce and avocado tastes great.
Persimmon Cookie (www.sugarplumblog.net)
(makes 34)
Ingredients:
¼ cup persimmon pulp (about 2 or 3 persimmons)
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
½ cup sugar
¼ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves
1 cup chopped walnuts
½ cup dried cranberries
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease two cookies sheets or line.
3. For persimmon puree, remove stems and cut into chunks. Puree in food processor until smooth.
4. Cream the butter and sugar. Add orange rind, egg, vanilla and persimmon pulp. Mix together.
5. Add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a different bowl. Add two together.
6. Mix in cranberries and walnuts.
7. Drop doug using ice cream scoop onto cookie sheets.
8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Figs
What’s dark, round and can sometimes ooze with liquid if squeezed too tight? Your season-trained mind is probably thinking a goblin’s eye. But don’t jump to ghoulish conclusions just yet. We’re talking about figs here.
Figs originated in Asia, but are now prominent fruits in Middle Eastern cuisine. These vitamin-packed, bite-sized wonders are high in calcium, potassium, vitamin K and fiber. They are full of antioxidants and can even improve your eyesight (move over carrots!) because the pigmented skins are packed with carotenoids.
There are a variety of figs out there, but the two most popular are the Kadota – which has a light green skin, moderately pink inside, and is mildly sweet – and the Black Mission – which has a rich, deep purple skin, intensely pink inside and can sometimes drip with a honey-like syrup.
Figs do bruise easily and may have a short shelf life, but dried figs are the perfect solution if you want to reap the nutritional benefits. They’re crunchy, chewy and smooth – satisfying all ends of the texture spectrum. Toss them in a salad, chop up dried ones for your cereal or simply bite into them whole. Your taste buds will happy and your body will be forever thankful. Go fig-ure! A savory and sweet mix of caramelized figs, tangy blue cheese and honey is simple to prepare yet is bursting with complex flavor.
Fig and Blue Cheese Appetizer (www.macheesmo.com)
Ingredients:
Figs
Blue Cheese
Honey
1. Cut figs in half
2. Turn on the oven and broil for two minutes until caramelized
3. Generously crumble blue cheese on top
4. Drizzle with honey
